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Last night, in association with the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), LMA hosted an event at Yorkville’s Sassafraz restaurant to promote travel and tourism in Philadelphia. Over 75 guests, including major members of travel media, attended the event, entitled “Yo! Philadelphia”; where they sampled Philadelphia-themed refreshments, such as a signature Philly Cheese Steak Roll and “Libertini” Cocktails. There was a presentation, including a short video highlighting some of Philadelphia’s upcoming events and major attractions, and a few lucky guests went home with door prizes: models of Philadelphia’s iconic “LOVE” statue. LMA would like to thank TMAC, GPTMC, Sassafraz and GPTMC Director of Communications Donna Schorr for helping us put together this successful event. To see more photos from “Yo! Philadelphia”, visit our Flickr page.

For hobby reading, pop economics books are a popular crutch of mine. They always have a few great observations on life, a few more interesting “Did you know?” factoids and even a couple in-your-face “Look at how stupid we are!” arguments. One of the “pop” trends that I’ve noticed amongst these scholarly reads is the twisting of our Latin species name homo sapiens towards whatever message the writer is trying to drive home. Three prominent examples that bubble up from the memory banks are homo economicus, homo rationalis and homo politicus. (For a full list of other playful portmanteaus, check out Wikipedia.) All of these clever Latin manipulations are geared towards categorizing human behavior in one way or another, and often in reference to various stereotypes. Chicly labeled under the term homo hotelus, there are a few overarching traits shared by all of us passionately working in the hospitality industry. …

The growth of China’s economy is equal parts fascinating and staggering. Living in North America where capitalism, consumerism and urbanization have long been ingrained into our societal framework, it’s almost unfathomable to comprehend the inner logistics required to apply these systems to a country of 1.4 billion at the breakneck speed that China is currently achieving. All we can bank on with certainty is that with increasing gross domestic product comes more monetarily empowered citizens and, subsequently, more globetrotting travelers. Recently, I talked with Ernie Diaz, director of online strategy at Web Presence in China, a company that markets non-Chinese brands to the Chinese marketplace. Ernie lives in Beijing and says what we first need to do is let go of any preconceptions we might have about Chinese consumers. For a country this big, a one-size-fits-all model is bunk and negligent, he told me. China has a burgeoning middle class …

When I first starting researching – and by researching I mean watching – the 1970s British TV series Fawlty Towers for a ‘Lessons Learned’ style article, I wasn’t too optimistic. After all, we’re talking about extrapolating the screwball sitcom antics of a small English countryside inn into something meaningful for hoteliers who are undoubtedly the complete opposite of what the hilariously spiteful innkeeper, Basil Fawlty (played by John Cheese), embodies. Needless to say by this introduction, the quantity and quality of my observations was astounding. Fawlty Towers proved to be such a treasure trove of useful morsels of guest service wisdom that I had to divide the show into two articles, one for both of its six-episode seasons. You can read my thoughts on the first season here. When the creatives convened to start outlining ideas for the latter six episodes of the series, they knew that, even though it …

I’ve emphasized it in the past and I’ll emphasize it again now: your restaurant’s menu cannot simply be satisfactory. Not anymore. It has to be outstanding to the point where guests will remember what they ate two, three or seven days later. You have to “wow” guests with bold choices, unique combinations and fresh ingredients in order for your restaurant to count as a worthy selling point and word-of-mouth generator for your hotel. Here’s the issue. I liken the going trend in the cuisine world to that of an arms race. Take burgers, for example. One diner updates their most indulgent choice to be a double patty oozing with four different types of cheese. A nearby competitor fires back by replacing the buns with grilled cheese sandwiches. Then, the original diner modifies their greasy double cheeseburger to include six strips of bacon and onion rings, all somehow organically sourced (like …

Given today’s rapidly changing landscape of hotel marketing, it’s all too easy to get caught in a rigid frame of mind in terms of how you classify your sales channels. As a result, the term “traditional marketing” needs constant revision in accordance with how long a given channel has existed and its relevance to the current cash cows. Off the top of my head, I’d group under traditional marketing the following: print media (magazines, newspapers), radio, television, trade shows, brochures and travel agencies. From this, one could easily assume that traditional encompasses everything physical as well as electronic means that do not revolve around the Internet. Therefore, under digital marketing you could put e-newsletters, OTAs, SEM, SEO, flash sites, social media and so on. So, where then would you place banner ads and any associated re-targeting? Both are wholly dependent on Internet traffic, and yet they aren’t anything new. In …

Now that I’ve touched upon my favorite wine regions in France (Burgundy), it’s time to move on to Italy — and specifically Tuscany — probably the country’s foremost producer. Located north of Rome proper along the Tyrrhenian Sea, this region of Italy (which I’ve visited on a couple occasions) is marked by its idyllic rolling hills of verdant greens abutting centuries-old towns of well-preserved brickwork, clay and religious artistry. Indeed, this is the home to three very popular tourist cities — Florence, Pisa and Siena. It goes without saying that Tuscany (and all of the Mediterranean nations) has a longstanding viticultural footprint, dating back to even before the Roman conquest of the Italian peninsula. During the Dark Ages, it was the pious monks who took the reins amidst the economic collapse of Western Europe. The current iterations by which we classify this nation’s pedigrees today emerged during the early Renaissance …

LMA is thrilled with the launch of a new website for Spot On Entertainment. This beautiful, multi-language site was built on EE, and was created with a responsive design that shows off everything that Spot On Entertainment has to offer. With photo galleries featuring the “stars” of Spot On Entertainment as well as full listings for all of their performances, it’s a perfect home for Spot On. In addition, the site displays Spot On Entertainment’s new logos and the logos for their shows, all designed by LMA. Click here to visit the website.

The moniker “best resort in America” is not taken lightly. There are many contenders for this title, and among them is Montage Laguna Beach. It’s an awe-inspiring property located less than an hour south of LAX, in an enclave worlds away from the hustle of Hollywood and the surrounding suburban sprawl. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the property holds the much-coveted Forbes Five Star rating for hotel, restaurant and spa as well as the five-diamond rating from AAA. Both are well-deserved accolades. Within the 30-acre (12-hectare) compound, Montage Laguna Beach comprises 248 rooms including 60 suites, three villas, a full-featured spa, three restaurants, two pools, private residences, an extensive meeting/conference/event area and probably enough marble, brass, fine carpet and exotic hardwood to tailor a small cruise liner. Carved into the side of a cliff, every room faces the ocean. While this often means walking long, somewhat confusing corridors to …

Allegiant is pleased to announce the appointment of LMA Communications Inc. as their Canadian-based Public Relations Agency, effective May 1, 2013. Based out of Toronto, Ontario, LMA has a wealth of experience within the travel industry. For the past 22 years, they have represented tourism and hospitality-based clients, including tourism boards, hotels, resorts and tour groups from around the world. Some of their clients include: VISIT FLORIDA®, COMO Hotels and Resorts, New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania, Florida Keys & Key West and Greater Philadelphia Tourism & Marketing Corporation. “We are thrilled to be in a partnership with Allegiant,” said Larry Mogelonsky, President and Founder of LMA Communications Inc. “Their go-to-market strategy is just what Canada needs.” The agency’s public relations team has in-depth experience with all facets of PR including: event planning, media visits, community relations, crisis management, media relations and social media interface.

Jerry GrymekALLEGIANT Selects LMA Communications Inc. as its Canadian Public Relations Agency05.14.2013

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